The present invention relates to methods and systems for communicating messages from a signal transfer point to a plurality of service control points in a telecommunication system.
The Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and Intelligent Network (IN) architectures utilize a centrally-located service control point (SCP) to control services on service switching points (SSPs) at local telephone exchanges. Each SSP is capable of implementing a set of functional components for defining one or more telecommunication services. The functional components can include providing a dial tone, collecting digits, and performing number translations for example. Each SCP includes a processor and a database used to direct the SSPs to perform a sequence of functions to provide a desired service. As a result, call control of AIN/IN services is carried out by the centralized SCP rather than at each local exchange.
To afford a complete back-up/fail-safe configuration if an SCP were to fail, SCPs are configured in mated pairs. Typically, each of the SCPs in a mated pair is utilized at 40% occupancy during a peak usage period so that if one SCP were to fail, the other SCP would have the capacity to handle the full load of calls. Here, the functioning SCP would have an occupancy of 80%, which provides a 20% degree of safety for an unexpectedly-high load during the peak usage period.
A shortcoming of this architecture is in the expense of operating mated pairs of functioning SCPs well below their full capacity, typically, each having an occupancy less than or equal to 40%.